‘Tree of Life’ cooking series returns to State Museum

The State Museum in Albany is bringing its back its excellent “Cooking the Tree of Life” series for one night, this time focusing on milk and related foods. Scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, the evening will feature Jeremy Kirchman, the museum’s evolutionary biologist, and Reid Ivy, creamery manager for Old Chatham Sheepherding Co., who will consider the evolution of mammals, milk production and, according to promotional material, “how humans (with help from bacteria) have used this mammalian adaptation to create some of our richest culinary pleasures. ” Ivy and Drue Spallholz of Albany’s Honest Weight Food Co-op, will lead a cheese tasting, and Lynn Beaumont of Cheesecake Machismo in Albany will describe how to make cheesecake and offer samples of her cheesecake. Fresh local milk from Clarksville’s Meadowbrook Farms Dairy will also be available for sampling.

Admission is $5 at the door. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. The museum is located on Madison Avenue at the Empire State Plaza.